Saudi Arabia’s Future

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has appointed his 29-year-old son, Mohammed bin Salman, to be deputy crown prince, the kingdom’s No. 3 post.

Presumably, he hopes that his son will become king when the present crown prince dies (perhaps in the 2040s if the crown prince lives to his 80s).

But even if the rest of Saudi Arabia’s many princes agree to the permanent supremacy of the king’s small branch of the royal family, will a country even more well informed than it is today still be willing to submit to a king?

The young deputy crown prince has a decision to make. He can try to be an old-fashioned king, and probably be overthrown when an educated public revolts. Or he can ensure his place in history by announcing that he will be the kingdom’s first constitutional monarch.

Since some 30 years must pass before the announcement could take effect, Saudi Arabia would have plenty of time to prepare for democracy and avoid the chaos so prevalent elsewhere in the region.

MARK WESTON

Armonk, N.Y.

The writer is the author of “Prophets and Princes: Saudi Arabia From Muhammad to the Present.”